Faucet



C. SAURER Feb., 7, i950 FAUCET Filed March l5, 1946 NVENTOR CUQTSAUQEZ AT1-ORN CYS Patented Feb. 7, l195() FAUCET AGurt Saurer, Detr,oit,Mih.

This invention relates to faucets., and `more 'especially it relates'to faucets ofthe type .such as commonly are employed Vfor Lhousehold and similar uses.

Faucets -of the character mentioned usually a,

the stem. The stem forces the valve gasket onto 'f the seat to close the valve Aand shut 'offthe u-id passage, with the lresult thatthe gasket is subjected tolocalized frictionfand pressure from the valve seat, and eventually disintegrates Aand fails.

The foregoing and other disadvantages and disabilities of prior construction are `overcome in the present invention by improved valve means whereof fluid pressure alone is utilized tohold the valve in closed position, and `manually operated vmeans is employed for opening the valvein opposition to said -uid pressure.

The chief objects of the invention are to provide a faucet'having an improved valve mechanism therein; to provide avalvemechanism/of the character mentioned that will operate on 'a different principle from conventional `valves pf a similar nature; to provide valve rnecharrisni having longer life; to provide v`for ready accessibility and easy mounting and yremoval of the valve mechanism; and to obviate friction of the Ivalve against the valve seat. yOther objects ywill :be Amanif est -as the description proceeds.

-Ofthe accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a faucet embodying the invention, va portion thereof being broken away to show the Operative elements of the invention in vertical diametric section, as they ap- ,pear when the valve of the -faucet is 4in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary ysectional view, on a larger scale, of the essential elements of Fig. 1 showing'the valve of the faucet in open position;

Fig. '3 isa section Aon the Aline i3- 3 of Fig. 1 Ashowing the valve Y seat of :the faucets-valve ,in plan; and

.-'Fig Al is a .fragmentary :sectional detail .ofra y modified -valve structure that fmay be employed in :the faucet.

Referring to `the A4drawing :there is shown :a

iiaucet housing `or `casing Ithatlexteriorlyisrof conventional appearance, said .casing comprising the usual threaded nipple portion II at the inlet end thereof, a downwardly curved discharge spout .I 2, Iand a 'tubular upwardly extending formation I3 intermediate the opposite ends of the vas casing. Interiorly fof the casing is formed an integral -partitionorwall I4 that separatesthe inlet of the 'fa-ucet from the-outlet thereof, said vlpartitio n'fbei-ng'formed withfa circular liiovv opening I5 disposed lon a *Yvert-ical axis that is nsub7 -stantiallgy coincident with the axis of forma; tion I3.

A"Theforrnc'ri'fion I3'fis'lf-ormedwith an axial bore `-I 1 that extends z-`from Ithe top .thereof Adownwardly into ythe partition IA, the lower end .of said bore being formed-witha taperl'that'terfminates :at the flow opening 1I5 V[with `which f it lis concentric. lPositioned upon-the taper :I8 of .bore -I'1 yis `a metallic disc'like valve seat IS, which -seat is Iformed with alseriesof :apertures 20, 12,0 `therein to admit Lthe passage .of fluid .there-y throughWhenithe'valvefis open. The valve seat .I9 is 4peripherally Atapered .substantially comple.- mental 'to the'taper of=region :I8 :of bore .I-"I, the taper lo'f said -v-alve seat preferably 'being 'at ua lslightly smal-ler angle (about 1) .so 4that the Lvalve -seatzmay ,ibe wedged .into Aplace by down.- wardly directed #pressure applied thereto. Flor applying suchzpressure .fito :fthe valve. seat I-9, .the ilatter preferably is formed :as ran .integral part of a-sleeve Y2|,fat`=the1nbottoin thereof, whichzsleeve fhas a ycloseriit .withinzthelbore I 'I.

The upper end of ithefsleeve'lfl 4.is .substantially flush-.with theztopfofthe Aform-at-ionni. `A Washer '2211s vpositioned over ethe upper tend-.of said ,sleeve fand'lformatiqn il3, :and retained in place by a cap-nut .2-3 :that .is threaded vonto 1: the upper end portion of :saidformation At3. The lower end portion :of lthe =sleeve 321i vis formed with-one Aor more ,openings :aor zponts, such :as .the :port 2 4, that enables `uuid ethat passes through the valve `seat by Jway;ofapert1;u;esil!tojhave'eacoess `to the dis,- charges spout d2.

:The upperaendfportion ofzsleeve ,:2.;l is interiorly #formed withfdoubl .femalerthreads 2,5 of rela? tively @steep :pitch in which the flower end por,- tioniof vthefjspindle :Z6 of the faucet V:is l threa-dedly deceived. iSaid :Spindle 26 ,extends `upwardly :through fa suitable iorening 'in the reap nut Y2,3 @andinas its `.upper end :provided with the usual ,operating thandleaor lever A1l. :A packing `gasket 328 is @clamped about the '.spindle, between rthe ,nut 253 andA washer 2,2, to Y.prevent the -leakage of ,fluid along fthe ispinjdle. The flower lend ,portion :of lthe spindle :26 is {formed .With aan zaxial bore f3.3 that ,extends uw@ C11-van .exact distance from the :lower n dfof ,heivspindla '.Slidably received :Within boreziillkr :itheiupper endaportionxofva pin :or ,stem 'TI that-:extends through :an axial :apprture `32 ii. the i/Valve .seat 'il 9 :sand has .its `lower Isend.gperipherally sgrooved fas .shown to provide la terminal buttonflikeformation "33. The stem '3l ,fhasfga slidingi-fit in .ithe aperture *32, thearrangee ment being such that the 4sljainolle i226' -and valve seat :F9 fconsttllte journals -@for said vxstem `'-3I.

the valve seat, is a valve member adapted for axial* movement within the flow opening I5 so as to move,

into and out of operative engagement with said" valve seat, to cover or uncover the apertures i therein. Said valve memberis a laminated comif, posite structure consisting of a disc 36 composed invention is simple in construction, efficient in operation, and will have low upkeep expense. Should repair or inspection be necessary, the capnut 23 may be unthreaded and the entire operative mechanism of the faucet removed as a unit,

the fiange 34 on the stem 3| preventing the latter AV(from slipping out through its lower journal- "-"aperture 32. The housing or casing I0 needs but little machinery to adapt it to the invention, it

being necessary only to ream the bore I1 and its tapered portion I8 accurately to size. Although the faucet shown has an inlet nipple at one end thereof, the invention is equally well of relatively rigid material, and a disc 31 of .re-. i

silient elastic material bonded to the bottom face thereof, said disc 31 being formed with a downwardly extending axial boss 31a. The disc 36 may be composed of relatively soft metal, such as brass or the like, or it may be composed Aof -a suitable molded thermo-setting plastic composition. Of the latter, Stenite No. 1 a specially compounded composition of asbestos nbre and/or other pig ments bonded together with a modified phenolictype resin, which is the product of the Brunswick Laboratory of Troy, New York, hasbeen found to give satisfactory performance. The disc 31 is composed of tough vulcanized rubber composition, either natural or synthetic, and is vulcanized to the disc 36. The valve member is formed with an axial recess 38 extending from the top face of the disc 36 downwardly into the boss 31a, the bottom of said recess-being shaped complemental to the button-like formation 33 on the lower end of stem 3|. The recess 38 is of appreciably larger diameter than the stem 3|, above the formation 33 on the bottom thereof, to enable the stem readily to be forced into said recess whereby the valve member is securely retained on the stem by interlock with the button-like formation thereon. The arrangement also enables the disc 36 to tilt slightly relatively of the stem 3|, and thus to be able to bear ush against the valve seat I9 at all times when the valve is closed.

In operation, opening of the faucet is effected by turning the handle 21 in the usual manner to thread the spindle 26 downwardly in the sleeve 2 I, whereby the stem 3| is forced downwardly and the valve-disc 36 moved away from the valve seat I9 to open the apertures 20 of the latter to the fluid under pressure in the flow opening I5. The fluid may then iiow through said apertures and through the port 24 to the discharge spout I2 of the faucet. The operation is reversed to close the faucet, at which time the spindle 26 rises, and the pressure of the fluid below the valve member forces the latter upwardly until it bears flush against the valve seat I9 to obstruct the apertures 2|J therein, and shut off the flow of uid to the spout I2. The spring 35 initiates and assists the lifting of the valve member and stem 3| if the pressure of the fluid is low. Rising movement of the valve member and its stem 3| ceases as soon as the valve is seated, but the spindle 26 may continue to rise somewhat, relatively of the stem 3|, as indicated by the space 40 shown between the top of said stem and the upper end of spindle bore 30 in Fig. 1. The arrangement is such that the valve member is held in closed position upon the valve seat substantially solely by pressure of the fluid that is on the faucet. The spindle 26 turns readily relatively of the stem 3| so that there is no sliding friction of the valve disc 36 upon the valve seat I9, with the result that wear upon these parts is avoided. L:

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the adapted to faucets having the inlet at the bottom thereof. Furthermore, it is not essential that the sleeve 2| and the valve seat I9 be a one-piece structure, since they may be two individual elements without substantial sacrice of the advantageous features of the invention.

In the modified valve construction shown in Fig. 4, the stem 3|a'. is formed with a hemispherical lower end 4l! that is engagea-ble in a similarly shaped axial socket 4| in a valve disc 42. The latter is loosely secured to the said stem by a screw 113 that extends through an axial bore 44 of somewhat larger size formed in the valve element, said screw being threaded axially into the end of the stem. The arrangement enables substantially universal movement of the valve mem'- ber relatively of the stem, so that said valve member will t flush against the valve seat I9.

Other modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A faucet of the character described comprising a valve seat in the iiow passage of the faucet, a disc-like valve structure arranged for axial movement from and toward said valve seat, and comprising a body of resilient material having a facing of rigid material on the side thereof confronting the valve seat, said structure having an axial recess extending through the rigid material and into the resilient material, the stem being received in said recess and connected to the resilient material at the bottom of the recess, a local region of the recess being of larger diameter than the stem to enable limited universal movement of the valve structure relatively to the stem.

- 2. A faucet as in claim 1, said stem having an annular recess, and the axial recess in the resilient material having an annular bead received in said annular recess.

CURT SAURER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS France of 1913 

